Blood Roses
by izwan
Summary: No more a one short. So if you like to delve deep into Kerrigan and Raynor relationship, this story is for you. Disclaimer: I don't own StarCraft or anything associated with it.
1. Chapter 1

**Blood roses**

Poisonous sulfuric gases filled the air. Here and there, pockmark and craters made by falling meteor and ancient volcanic eruption littered the landscape. Wind gushing in from every direction but it wasn't a wind that brought respite from the harsh temperature, rather it complemented it, making everything much hotter than before. The fog that came out from the bubbling craters, big and small envelope everything making it difficult to see what ever it is in front of you. If there was indeed hell, this was it.

And yet, here stand a man, with a small army of his own. Staring into the distance, his furrowed brow showed that he was thinking hard at the moment. Scanning, observing and detecting everything around him. For it was the dream that brought him here. A dream of a long lost love. And the promise that they both will be reunited once more.

He signaled his men to follow. Together they jogged through the harsh landscape. It wasn't easy. Even with the eye goggles, peripheral vision was still pretty much limited. And they have to be careful on where to set their foot upon for there were so many lava trap scattered everywhere. On the surface, it may look like ordinary lava that already harden and safe to be walked on but many of it was just an illusion. Most of the time the thickness of the hardened lava was so thin, some even paper thin, that you will literally fell down into the molten lava below it if you were not careful. Thankfully, thermal scanner did help in avoiding someone from becoming a fully cook barbeque.

After nearly a couple of hours of jogging, they finally reach their destination which the rim of a really huge crater. But it wasn't the crater that they were interested in. Rather a huge hole that bored exactly at the center of the crater. Using a pair of binoculars, the leader of the pack peers into the crater.

"Nydus tunnel. Exactly what I was looking for," he muttered to himself. "Kowalski, scan the area. See if the host had prepared a welcoming party for some uninvited guest that is us."

"Working sir," Kowalski replied. After a few moment, he said, "All clear, Captain Raynor. No zerg bio signature detected throughout the area."

"Good. Lets go inside towards that hole."

Together, all eleven of them slide carefully down the crater. Once they reach for that hole, Raynor gave the signal for his men to spread and keep on a look out while he himself peered down the whole. At nearly 15 meters wide and 12 meter deep, it was clearly not naturally occurred. After considering for a moment, Raynor turned towards his men.

"Alright. Kowalski, William, LeRouge and Boyd, the four of you will follow me. The rest of you stay here. Make sure that our escape path is clear should anything unforeseen happens. If the five of us didn't come back within an hour, get your ass as fast as you can to the dropship and get the hell off this planet. Am I clear on that?"

"Crystal, Captain," one of his men replied, "But I do hope it won't come to that."

"Yeah me too. Now the four of you hear me out. This is simply a recon mission. We get in, take a look and then we get out. Sound simple enough but we're talking about the zerg here so anything could happen. I guess I don't have to tell you what you should do."

"You don't have to tell us, captain," replied Boyd. "We know what to expect."

"Good. I hope I can count on all of you. Lets go."

Together, all five of them rappelled down the hole, giving a soft tud upon landing. Around the hole, there were three tunnels that leads away from the hole.

"Which one captain?" asked Kowalski.

Raynor looked from tunnel to tunnel. Two of the tunnel would lead them anywhere else on on the planet and one of them would lead them right to their main objective, that is the Zerg Hive. He then took out what happened to be a long range scanner. He began to scan each of the tunnel opening.

"Here," he said, "this would be it," Raynor pointed to the tunnel on his left side.

"How do you know captain?" asked Kowalski.

"Because it was crawling with the zerg."

"What? You didn't mean to go in there, did you?" asked Kowalski apparently surprised by his boss decision.

"I'm going in. And I need you guys to some along. Remember that some of our comrades need help, Kowalski. And its our job to save them." With that, Raynor went trudging in through the tunnel with his men grudgingly followed behind.

The tunnel was indeed very dark but for the fear of being found, they had to use infra red goggles instead of normal lighting to see ahead. As foreboding as it can be, the tunnel was virtually littered with carcasses. After a few minutes of walking, they finally heard the tell tale of zerg close by. Readying their weapons, they continued slowly until they finally reach one really huge cavern, or rather a chamber. But unlike any other cavern they had seen, this one had an organic feel to it. The wall and ceiling wasn't made of rock but rather a thick and slimy structure of flesh and skin. The ground was covered by purplish goo, not unlike the zerg creep they had seen at Mar Sara and many other places. At the far side of the cavern lies several worm like creature, throbbing and pulsating every now and then. Crab like creature running here and there, like a very loyal servant attending to every demands of its masters. This must be their breeding ground, Raynor thought to himself. At the center of the chamber, there was a cocoon. And to that cocoon that Raynor fixed his eyes on to.

"Where're you going, captain?" asked Kowalski seeing his captain walk slowly towards the cocoon. Raynor put a finger to his mouth and signaled his men to take cover then continued to walk towards the cocoon. As Raynor slowly walked towards it, he felt something different. He felt the attraction, a calling from that cocoon. It was so intense that he became oblivious to his surrounding. He virtually didn't realize that a few of the zergling was following him from behind. Yet strangely enough, they didn't attack him.

The thing that was in front of him pulsated every now and then. From within, Raynor could clearly see a silhouette of a human being albeit with a couple of more limbs. Despise with what he saw, he couldn't help himself but to reach out and touch the so called chrysalis. As if right on cue, the chrysalis began to vibrate violently. The creature within it began to stir, twisting here and there as if trying desperately to escape from the drowning confinement of the chrysalis itself. Raynor simply stood back and watch awe of something that he or anyone else other than the zerg had never seen before. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a booming and echoing voice was heard throughout the cavern.

"Behold my children, for the time of our glory is near. Behold and observe the birth of my greatest creation ever. The one that will bring forth the wrath of the swarm. Let our enemy cowered under the trampling of our feet."

Raynor suddenly notice that hundreds perhaps thousands of zerg creatures already converging around the now vibrating cocoon with him at the center of it all. But the zerg were seems to be more occupied with the cocoon itself rather than him.

Suddenly, the skin of the chrysalis was tore open by a pair of spiky bones. Like a really sharp knife, it cut through the skin so easily as if the skin was nothing more than a sheet of a really thin paper. Slimy fluid oozes out everywhere wetting the surrounding ground and outcome a creature. Menacing looking, and yet uncommonly beautiful. Raynor was simply flabbergasted by what he saw. That creature was definitely a woman. Beautiful, yet full of hatred and anger. All of it seems to radiate from her like a glowing ball of light. Her body was covered with thick carapace, filling and hugging her figures accentuating every curve that she had. Her height had also increase a few millimeters. The creature's hair looked strange. Except it wasn't really hair, more like tendrils jutting out of the creature's skull. But the face. It had the Kerrigan's face.

Slowly the creature step down from what was to be her embryo. And that booming voice was heard once more.

"Arise my daughter! Arise Kerrigan! For you were my greatest creation! And you will be the greatest agent of the swarm and with that all the rage, power will be eventually be the downfall of our enemies!"

"I will oblige, father. For your wish is indeed my will," Kerrigan bowed in respect to basically nobody. Raynor looked around. Where is this voice came from, he thought.

"Let the enemy know of our wrath! Let no terrans survived!" said the booming voice once again.

Suddenly, Raynor realize that the whole flock of the zerg was looking at him with pure hatred. He readied his gun to fight back.

"Captain!"

Raynor heard a yell and turned around. He saw his men began to fire at the zerg flock. The zerg began to fight back. Hundreds of them began to pounce at his men. One by one, his men fall into gruesome death. Kowalski gave a really good fight before his head decided to leave his body for good, aided by one really friendly zergling.

Raynor tried to raised his rifle but couldn't . He looked down and saw a claw like hand was holding his rifle down. Looking up, his eyes met the gazed of a woman though her eyes were no longer emerald like. Instead it was glowing yellowish with ever changing pupil.

The other zergs, having disposed of his men, began to close in on him. Kerrigan signal them to stop. Grudgingly they obey but now with an extremely hungry look emanating from their glowing eyes.

"Leave us," Kerrigan gave the command to the zerg surrounding her. But the zerg didn't oblige. Instead they stayed there, looking hungrily at Raynor.

"I said leave us!" this time, the command was given with more authority and anger.

The other zerg cowed down and began trundling away. In less than a minute, the chamber was totally devoid of other presence with exception of the worm like things.

Raynor began to calm down. He gave up the effort to raise his weapon. Kerrigan, detecting the changes in Raynor's emotion, released her grip on Raynor's rifle.

Raynor than took a few step backward so that he can look at Kerrigan better. She was indeed taller than before. Kerrigan was once no taller than his shoulder but now, she can literally looked into Raynor's eye without so much of an effort.

"Sarah, is that really you? What have they done to you?"

"In a way. I am now so much more than I was before," Kerrigan replied at the same time looking and twisting her hand here and there. She then stop, grip her hand tightly and looked directly into Raynor's eye, "You shouldn't have come here. Jim."

"But -, but the dreams. I dreamt that you were calling to me," said Raynor.

"I was, Jim. I've called to you and Acturus for help but Acturus, he sent only Duke to reclaim me. Guess I knew now the value that he hold on to me," Kerrigan replied. Her voice was thick with emotion and resentment. Her glowing yellow eyes began to fade until it resembles the green eyes of Sarah of old. She looked away from Raynor. Sadness had clearly plastered across her face.

"Mengsk was busy building his own little empire, Sarah. He won't have time for anything or anyone else so he sent his goon here. You can imagine the surprise on Duke face when he realize that I'm still a alive," Raynor chuckled.

Kerrigan smiled slightly, "Yes I can imagine."

Raynor then walked slowly towards Kerrigan. He said, "But I'm here now, Sarah. We can get you out. We can get you somewhere safe. We can figure out how to change you back."

Kerrigan shook her head and smiled, "Its too late for that Jimmy. Can't you see? I'm one of them now. And I like what I have become. You can't imagine what's it feels like. The power. The control. Everything I never had before now within my grasp." Her skeletal wing spread out and her eyes glow much brighter as she said that.

Raynor was dumbfounded when he hear what Kerrigan had said. That's it. All his effort to save the woman he truly loved had been in vain. Kerrigan had made her choice. Probably the first ever choice she had made out of her own will. She had decided to stay with the zerg. Raynor's heart was broken once again into tiny little pieces. He had failed her just like he had failed Liddy. Tears begin to welling up in his eyes.

Kerrigan noticing the change in Raynor's emotions and tears in Raynor's eye, said nothing. In fact, she couldn't say or do anything. Her body went rigid. She knew that she had hurt Raynor with her own decision. She knew that she had hurt the only person who had never done anything wrong to her. The only person who had been honest, caring and had never used her for his own intend. Deep down, she felt regret about everything that had happened. She knew that Raynor had wanted to be with her just as much as she wanted to be with him. And she knew that feeling will haunt her for years to come.

Raynor, regaining his composure, said, "If that is indeed your choice Sarah, I will respect that. But before I go, allow me to do this very last thing. With this, I hope that you will know and understand."

Raynor began to close in on Kerrigan. Touching Kerrigan's face which was surprisingly smooth and soft despite of the zerg carapace that cover up the rest of her body, he leaned towards her and kissed her lips. A deep and emotional kiss that relay to her everything that he had felt towards her. And Kerrigan replied with a deep kiss of her own also relaying everything that she felt about him. An unspoken confession of deep love.

After a while, Raynor released her. He saw tears running down her cheeks. Tracing his fingers along her cheek, he said, "Remember this Sarah, in your darkest hour. Farewell darlin'. I hope you find whatever it is you were looking for."

Raynor turned around and began to walk towards the entrance of the chamber. At the entrance, he stopped and looked back. He saw Kerrigan was still standing there solemnly watching him. He gave a nodded and continue to walk. He stopped by the corpse of his fallen comrades and began collecting all of their dog tags. He looked at every one of it.

Kowalski, Boyd, LeRouge and William.

All of them had died in vain. And all of it due to his selfish reason. To rescue the one he loved. He felt guilty. So guilty that he wished the zerg would just do the number on him instead of letting him live. But then if they did that, probably none of the others including those onboard Hyperion would also lived.

Wiping his tears, Raynor try to search for his own strength. He finally found a new resolve. All his four men who had fallen would not died in vain. He will do the most that he can so that the rest of them could survive. He had to relay to everyone else this new threat that they were facing. Regaining his composure he then began to run as fast as he could towards the tunnel opening. Once he reached the surface, the rest of his soldier clamored around him demanding to know what had happened.

"All of them had died, including the ones we were meant to save. They were killed by the zerg. But now is not the time to grieve for we're still very much in danger. Come on. Lets get back to the dropship."

And as they ran, Raynor heard a voice. A soft whisper.

"Jim. I loved you. And my heart will always belongs to you, till the end of time."

**The end.**


	2. All about Loving You

**All about lovin' you**

_**Looking at the pages of my life**_

_**Faded memories of me and you**_

_**Mistakes you know I've made a few**_

_**I took some shots and fell from time to time**_

_**Baby, you were there to pull me through**_

_**We've been around the block a time or two**_

_**I'm gonna lay it on the line**_

_**Ask me how we've come this far**_

_**The answer's written in my eyes**_

She was hesitating. She had never done this before. Well, not really anyway. Yes Somo Hung did once ask her out. Not just once but many times. She turned down all of them. She wasn't ready. She never thought about having any relationship with anyone. She did finally ask Somo Hung out but it was just to have a coffee with her. It didn't really count as a date, did it? Beside it didn't turn out well in the end. She nearly crippled Pollock Rimes for insulting Somo. The second meeting, she decided to call it that, was when the Hyperion was docking at Pridewaters. She was at a beach side cantina, alone. Looking at the wave gently rolling by. It soothes her. Calmed her. After going and shifting through every dirty thoughts along the way there, the calming effect of the wave was certainly welcome. It had been really long time since she felt that way. She can't remember when the last time that happened but still. It was moment later when she detected someone familiar, sincere and yet nervous within her midst. She knew who that person was. It was there that she finally knew what Somo felt about her. Genuine and yet so sincere. And it was there that she had her first kiss.

But Somo Hung now is dead.

_**Every time I look at you, baby, I see something new**_

_**That takes me higher than before and makes me want you more**_

_**I don't wanna sleep tonight, dreamin's just a waste of time**_

_**When I look at what my life's been comin' to**_

_**I'm all about lovin' you**_

Standing in front of Sam's Place, she was contemplating on what to do next. She was dead nervous and she chastised herself for feeling that way. And yet she still felt compelled to meet him. Yes, he had invited her for a drink at that place once they successfully fulfill their last mission. At first she thought it would at some place crowded and rowdy, just like the Hyperion cantina. However shifting through inside his head, it was clear to her that wasn't what the 'pig' was thinking. It was someplace else. Someplace quiet and romantic. Someplace that she certainly preferred. The Sam's Place. It wasn't for nothing that she adorned that sundress just for the occasion. She had to borrow it from a female Hyperion staff since she never had any dress herself. She even never put on makeup before. She was indeed grateful for the help she got. Not only that the female staff agreed to lend her the dress, she and several other female staffs had also helped her with the makeup. And now, she certainly looked dashing and ready enough to go on her first date. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the entrance door and there he was, at the counter with his back facing her. He was indeed waiting for her and to her surprise, she sense the same nervousness feeling inside him as she did. Smiling, she slowly crept up behind him. Apparently he realized that someone was standing behind him. He turned around only to have his jaw virtually dropped to the floor upon seeing a really beautiful woman standing in front of him.

_**I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've paid some dues, baby**_

_**We've been to hell and back again**_

_**Through it all you're always my best friend**_

_**For all the words I didn't say and all the things I didn't do**_

_**Tonight I'm gonna find a way**_

They drank, talked and laughed for hours. It was there that she finally learnt of whom Jim Raynor truly was. He had the soul just like Somo Hung and yet way much better and much purer than Somo himself. It was there that she learnt of his life, his love and his lost. She saw his parents, Liddy and Johnny. She saw how he had lost everyone he held dear. She saw the path to destruction that he once took and how, against all odd, he recovered. She saw the sacrificed made by someone named Tychus and how Jim felt indebted to him. It was certainly one of the turning point in Jimmy's life. Tychus told him to make something out of his life in his last words to Jim. It was the words that Jimmy hold dear until now. And the more she looked into him, the stronger the feeling she had for him.

_**Every time I look at you, baby, I see something new**_

_**That takes me higher than before and makes me want you more**_

_**I don't wanna sleep tonight, dreamin's just a waste of time**_

_**When I look at what my life's been comin' to**_

_**I'm all about lovin' you**_

That night spent with him was the most wonderful night she ever had throughout her life. She felt the love and compassion Jim felt for her. Despite his rugged look on the outside, inside he held something wonderful. Something beautiful. Something pure. His touch. His embrace. His kiss. The way the light brown eyes looked into her emerald ones. All of it graces and soothes her soul into the deepest level. She felt she could cling to him forever. It was in him that she finally found all the comfort and peace that she yearns throughout her broken life.

_**You can take this world away**_

_**You're everything I am**_

_**Just read the lines upon my face**_

_**I'm all about lovin' you**_

Their bodies melt together as they dance slowly to the tune of what would eventually be their song. Yes. Since that night, nothing would hold her back. After lots of hesitation and determination to keep herself closed, she finally opened up. Closing her eyes and resting her head on Jim's chest, she knew, without any doubt that she had finally loved him.

_**Looking at the pages of my life**_

_**Faded memories of me and you**_

_**Mistakes you know I've made a few**_

_**I took some shots and fell from time to time**_

_**Baby, you were there to pull me through**_

_**We've been around the block a time or two**_

_**I'm gonna lay it on the line**_

_**Ask me how we've come this far**_

_**The answer's written in my eyes**_

_**Every time I look at you, baby, I see something new**_

_**That takes me higher than before and makes me want you more**_

_**I don't wanna sleep tonight, dreamin's just a waste of time**_

_**When I look at what my life's been comin' to**_

_**I'm all about lovin' you**_

_**I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've paid some dues, baby**_

_**We've been to hell and back again**_

_**Through it all you're always my best friend**_

_**For all the words I didn't say and all the things I didn't do**_

_**Tonight I'm gonna find a way**_

_**Every time I look at you, baby, I see something new**_

_**That takes me higher than before and makes me want you more**_

_**I don't wanna sleep tonight, dreamin's just a waste of time**_

_**When I look at what my life's been comin' to**_

_**I'm all about lovin' you**_

_**You can take this world away**_

_**You're everything I am**_

_**Just read the lines upon my face**_

_**I'm all about lovin' you**_

* * *

She opened up her eyes. There's no Jim in front of her. Instead, the glaring hot sun and swirling volcanic dust was what she saw.

She was standing on the lips of the crater. Her glowing yellow eyes looked far and distant towards the swirling dust far ahead of her an indication that her adversary was on the run from her. She could smirk. She could smile. She could just send her countless minions to destroy all of them, particularly the one call Tassadar and Zeratul. Having them setting their foot on Char, her newest home planet was intolerable. She wouldn't have any of it. But then, something held her back.

She was still new to her newfound powers. She knew she had trouble controlling them. It would take some time and much practice before she can perfectly control them. That was basically the main reason why both Tassadar and Zeratul manage to escape her clutches during their previous skirmishes before.

But now, both of them in front of her and already on the run. She knew she won't have any problem to slaughter them all, every single one of them. Those Protoss fool would know better than to challenge her rule and it would be very easy for her to destroy them. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"_**Is this your choice then Jimmy? So be it. You and yours will suffer the same fate as your new friends." **_

Jim Raynor stared at her for a moment as she said those words to him through the mindlink they both shared. The link the she herself created even before she was infested. It was a way she used to monitor Jim. Apparently, that link was strong enough to withstand her infestation, or was it intentional?

She saw the hurt on Jim's face just as she finished uttering those words. She knew that she had once again hurt him. Without a word, Jim Raynor slowly turned around and began to run along with his new Protoss friends. She pretty much knew why Jim had to do that. He had to cling to the Protoss. It was certainly the only way that he and his men could survived. Despite that reason, she was still angry. Angry that Jim chose the Protoss over her. But at that point, she felt powerless. She felt fear.

She could of course send all the Zerg under her control to slaughter them all. She would definitely do that if it wasn't for Jim. But right now Jim was on the run with them which means that slaughtering the Protoss would also mean slaughtering Jim as well. She won't have any of it. She won't let Jim get hurt.

Jim Raynor, her lover and for her part at least, still is. And she would continue to love him despite of his action.

_**You can take this world away**_

_**You're everything I am**_

_**Just read the lines upon my face**_

_**I'm all about lovin' you**_

Commanding her broods to return to the hive, Sarah Kerrigan made a new resolution. She would destroy the Protoss. The fate of Jim Raynor will be decided later.

_**To be continued….**_

**A/n: Yeah I said earlier that this would be just a one short. Well, I decided to eat my own words and make it multi chaptered. However, since 'Behind The Painted Walls' is still my flagship story, you can guess where the bulk of the writing time goes to. The update for 'Blood Roses' won't be as fast. I did it as a token of appreciation to those who had took the effort to put my stories both 'Blood Roses' and 'Behind The Painted Walls' in their favorite and followed list. Thank you once again. Oh, before I forget, some of the event in this story would have some link to 'Behind The Painted Walls' and vice versa. Just keep a sharp eye for that.**

**Do you know from what song that lyric comes from? It "All About Loving You", a wonderful piece by Bon Jovi. You haven't heard it? Go ahead. I wrote this while listening to the song in repeat mode over and over again. The lyric really hit the story really well. Oh, before I forget, I don't own that song or anything associated with it. Phew!**


	3. Remembrance part 1

_**Rememberance Part 1**_

The evening sun was hanging low in the sky, casting streamers of pink and orange along the horizon. The small grassy hill, overlooking the greening valley down below, nestled between the grain covered mountains. Beautiful scenery, just like something that came out of a wonderful dream.

She was walking towards the hill, drinking and admiring the scenery while at the same time searching for someone. Someone whom until now she could only meet in her dreams. Indeed, right in front of her, standing on top of the small hill with his back facing her, was the one she seeks. Jim Raynor.

A smile concocted from her lips as she slowly and silently walked towards Jim. Still deep within his thought, she mused to herself. Maybe I should announce my arrival in subtlest way possible.

Immediately she wrapped her hands around Jim from behind and laid her head on his shoulder. Jim was startled at first but then relaxed afterwards as he realized who was hugging him. He reached up to clasp her soft hand, intertwining his fingers with that of hers.

"Breathtaking," she breathed softly into his ears.

"Yeah, definitely." Replied Jim. His fingers joining hers, holding and caressing every single one of it.

Tightening her hold on Jim, again she whispered softly, "I wish we could stay like this forever, Jim."

"That is certainly something that I really wish for a long time, Sarah. No fighting. No killing. Just the two of us. Loving each other with nothing stands between us."

Sarah smiled as she continued to lay her head against Raynor shoulder. For the first time ever, Jim had verbally confessed to her of what he had always dreamt of. Like her, he wanted to settle down. Like her, he wanted to have family and a home. Like her, he simply wanted a normal life. Of course being a telepath, she already knew all of these much earlier. But simply knowing just wasn't the same as hearing the true confessions. And that made her happy.

However, moments later, something unexpected happened. Her surrounding changed from beautiful looking grassy plain into sick looking volcanic field. Far ahead she saw numerous volcanoes constantly erupting. The sky was in a deep shade of sickly red. She found herself standing on a hill looking down a boxed like canyon. There she saw Terrans. And Protoss. She saw Jimmy, now lying motionless on the valley floor with Tassadar and Zeratul crouching beside him. All of the Protoss and the Terrans was looking intently at Jimmy. She was curious and worried at first but then she realized something.

The scenery then changed back to the beautiful grassy plain with her hand still wrapping Jim. But all her love and passion by now had been consumed by deep hatred and the desire to murder. She knew what she had saw just now. It was the place where her enemies were in hiding. On Char. She had been tracking them for so long. But now she had found them. The time to kill had come. But Jim must not know what she intended to do.

Sarah began to hug him even tighter. As Jim turned in her embrace until he was facing her, she smiled. A triumphant smile. Looking deep into the light brown eyes, she said, "I'll be seeing you, Jimmy."

She then kissed him before vanishing into thin air.

* * *

"_Cerebrates! The time had come. Gather all of your minion. We shall seek those intruders who dared to set foot in our sanctuary send them to their doom. Let not a single Protoss and Terrans see the light of the day!"_

_**To be continued…**_


	4. Remembrance part 2

The mountain range.

So near and yet so far.

There she was. Standing on an outcrop looking eastward from the primary hive, her new home for many weeks now. Gazing at the mountain range brought mixed feeling to her. On one hand, she had finally nailed the location of the enemy. For weeks they had manage to elude her brood. It would always be the same. They hide. Her brood would found them. Battle ensued but instead of fighting until the last one stood, they would simply trim her brood and then disappeared without a trace. Then the process would be repeated. Found. Fight. Disappear. And she had to keep on sending reinforcement to complement the search party. Not that it posed any problem to her. The Zerg was so adapted to breeding that it would only take her a third of the time the terran needed to construct a sizeable force for her to produce an army of naturally trained Zerg. No, it was because she knew that Jim Raynor was behind the guerilla tactic that had driven her crazy.

The Protoss won't certainly fight using that tactic. Being a race that put pride and glory above all else, they're much preferred frontal combat with death in battle as the ultimate target. Those who used hit and run strategies would be viewed as cowardice. Yet it was the strategies that they use this time. They know that they didn't have the numbers on their side. Frontal combat would mean that they would be slaughtered, mercilessly.

The mountain range. In one of the canyon. That was where her enemy was currently hiding. And she's determined to see that they won't be able to hide anywhere else. Instead of directly ordered her brood to attack the moment their location was unveiled, she decided to go slow this time. Several groups had been sent to seek and close all potential escape paths while she prepared for a full scale assault.

"Cerebrates. My brood. Are they ready?"

"The brood is always ready for your command, O' Queen of Blades," replied the nameless cerebrate. Among the cerebrates that currently reside on Char, the one that now served her was the youngest one and yet to be named. He was tasked by Daggoth, among the oldest of the cerebrates, to assist her in her quest. Daggoth and several other cerebrates had gone to Aiur to begin their conquest of the Protoss homeworld, leaving her to tackle the Terran and the Protoss intruders. It was on her request of course. She would have been on her way to Aiur if not for her ability to sway the Overmind decisions.

"Good. Have them prepared. We'll attack at dawn where the sun will shine brightly where there won't be any shadows for the Dark Templar to hide. By noon all of them, the Protoss and the Terrans, will meet their doom."

"Will this include the one named James Raynor as well?" asked the cerebrate.

She hissed upon hearing the name, "Do not speak of him in front of me!"

"And yet he's the bane of your existence ever since you came out of the chrysalis, Kerrigan. You spared his life when you should have ended it. Your emotion and feelings overwhelmed your thought every time he's near. And all those dreams that you sent him every time he fall asleep. You are longing for him."

"How dare you invade my thoughts! Not everything in it is meant to be shared! I would have you killed for this!"

"There's a lesson for you, Kerrigan. There is no such thing as privacy in the swarm. We are collectives. Every thought and every feeling is shared. There won't be a place for you to hide anything. Even the Overmind knows your feeling for this man though on why he didn't take any action is beyond my knowledge. You can try to kill me, Kerrigan, but it would be a futile attempt. Only a Dark Templar had the weapon to achieve just that. The most you could do is hurt me. Remember, you are now a part of the swarm. Feeling and emotions don't matter. They are considered weakness and need to be eliminated. It's on how you fulfill the will of the Swarm is more important. My advice is, do the right thing. James Raynor shouldn't have any placed beside you or the Swarm."

Kerrigan went silent. Though she didn't like it, everything the cerebrate had said hold true. She was now a part of the Swarm. There's no place for feeling and emotion. The only thing that existed was the will of the Swarm. But then, if feeling and motion was deem unnecessary and considered a weakness, why won't the Overmind erased it from her? Why keep it? All her feelings towards Jim. Why didn't it go away? Why it kept getting stronger?

She still remembered the very first time she saw him right after her birth into the swarm. The zerglings was ever so ready to pounce and ripped Jim's flesh from his bones. She stopped them. She was afraid. She was afraid that he would get hurt or killed. A feeling she didn't have for Jim's companions. She didn't care for them to die. She only wanted Jim to be alive. She did something no other Zerg had done before. She let him escape with his life and without a scratch.

From that moment, she kept sending Jim dreams through the bond that they both shared. A bond that she herself created so that she could monitor his well being. It was the dreams of her longing, of how much he meant to her and how she wish that she could be with him. How she wish that things could be different. It all ended the moment she saw Jim changed his allegiances. From that moment, hatred ensued.

She still sent the dreams but it all ended in absolute nightmare for Jim. She told him how much she hated him. She told him of her anger and disappointment, of how Jim destroyed the chances of them to finally be together. She knew that Jim was suffering but she stopped caring.

Kerrigan looked away from the cerebrate. Her gaze once again fell upon the mountain range on the east. Morning can't come really soon.

And when it came, Jim will be dead.

_**To be continued…**_

_****_**A/n: Delivered as promised. And no I haven't played HoTS yet so shame on me. To those who like and reviewed Diary of a Mutalisk and Diary of a Zealot, many thanks to you guys. And Jesse if you read this, yup I'm trying to make it as wacky as possible while loosely based on the canon itself. Still haven't the inspiration to start the next chapter though. But if you guys like the diary funnies, you can check them out at battlenet forum. there's tons of them in the forum though mind you, not all of them are funny. some of them could bring tears to your eyes, for obvious reason. Anyway, hope you like this chapter of mine. Thanks for reading and i'll see you guys soon.**


	5. Remembrance part 3

Morning sun rises just above the mountain peak. In other places, it would be heavenly sights for those who's lucky or willing enough to rise up early from their slumber. But certainly not here. Not on Char.

There, on the flat plain, pockmarked with various volcanic and meteorite crates, she glided with such speed towards her destination with her minions tailing her. Glowing eyes and murderous look plastered across her face signaling the rage now boiling deep within her.

_**Battle cruiser Hyperion, after Orna III… a flashback**_

It was after they're both successfully executed the mission given by Mengsk on Orna III. The scientist and renegade Confederate officials were successfully rescued and was now safely onboard Son of Korhal flagship, the Hyperion. However, during the chaotic evacuation, she managed to get shot three times on her left leg. Jimmy managed to kill the perpetrator though. She was carried by him straight to the med bay once they arrived on board the battle cruiser. Examination by the on board medical staffs revealed that one of the bullets pierced through her hip bone. That would mean that she would have to be confined on bed with her left leg virtually out of commission for the next few weeks.

It was a day after the incident. For someone who was used to walk around doing this and that all the time, being confined to the bed with nothing do but stared at the ceiling could get pretty boring real fast. She sighed. What she wouldn't give to be able to go the bridge, have a chat with Acturus and have a chance to harass that pig. Especially, the chance to harass that pig. She smiled to herself. She pretty much remembered everything that happened the first time they met.

_On the flat plain within the wilderness of Antiga Prime, she waited for the additional reinforcement promised by Acturus._

"_Late! As always! Men!" she muttered to herself._

_Fifteen minutes later, much to her chagrin, the promised dropship finally arrived. It began to disgorge it occupants. All the marines began to setup a perimeter around the dropship. She saw Mike Liberty and she saw someone beside him. Tall, well built with a pair of light brown eyes, she had no doubt this was indeed Jim Raynor that Acturus had mentioned about. Not bad, she mused to herself. To her eyes, he looked really like what Acturus had describe to her, a law enforcement official on a backwater planet. But there were also something else about him. Something that until that point she couldn't put her fingers to._

_Satisfied with her assessment and acknowledging that time was running short, she took of her helmet and deactivated her cloaking device. Mike Liberty saw her and gave her smile of recognition but she simply nodded at him and went straight to Jim Raynor._

_Saluting him, she began her report, "Captain Raynor, I had finished scouting the area and…"_

_And it happened. She saw them. She saw everything. They both were kissing passionately. Her hips pressed against his moving to the rhythm. His hands on her body. And much-much later a bed that was broken._

"_You pig!" she yelled at him._

_The image inside her mind was so vivid and yet she find them so compelling. She herself was used to men imagining many indecent things the moment they saw her. Attractive in her own right, she used to simply ignore them. But certainly not this man. She found herself so upset and it surprised her to a degree that she quickly turned all of it into anger._

_Taken aback by her reaction, Raynor said, "What? I haven't even said anything to you yet!"_

"_Yeah but you were thinking it!" she replied hotly._

"_Oh right, you're a telepath! Look just get on with this, okay?!"_

"_Right."_

_She said the word icily and at the same time wondered why she was so upset. It wasn't like he's the first men who thought of her that kind of way. Perhaps it was a disappointment rising from the fact that he was just like any other man. Looked good on the outside but plain rotten on the inside. She was indeed hoping that he was different but boy, was she so wrong. But then she should have guessed it. All men were basically the same. There's no point for her to get so work out of it but there she was. Fuming at James Raynor._

_They managed to complete the mission without so much of a drama. Despite their initial animosity towards each other, both she and Raynor worked really well together, much to her surprised. For quite a long time both of them couldn't look eye to eye with each other after Antiga Prime. She kept calling him a pig and in return she got a new nick name. Brain Reaper. Funny though. She never did this kind of thing before with any other man, not even woman. She also found that she couldn't take her eyes of him whenever he's around and she will keep looking at the door whenever he wasn't._

_And that status quo continued until Orna III…_

Suddenly, the door to her private ward opened to reveal the very person she was thinking about right there and then.

Jim Raynor.

"Hey, darlin'. How's it hanging?" he said cheerfully while at the same time walking inside carrying a tray of food.

Her lips pursed before it blurted out a reply, "I don't have anything hanged out of my body, Captain Raynor. Unlike you." Somehow, for some unknown reason, she was quite happy to see him.

"Ouch. Still mad at me, eh darlin'?" he smiled. That smile. Jim then placed the food tray on the small table beside her bed.

"Always will. Anyway the mess hall situated right at the other side of the ship. I thought you have known your way by now."

"Yeah I know. This food tray isn't for me anyway. I had my lunch," Jim replied while at the same taking of the food cover to reveal a bowl of hot steaming soup. Carefully, using a spoon, he began to mix some of the other ingredients inside several much smaller bowls into the soups and began to stir it carefully.

"Not for you? Wait! No! I'm not going to eat that! Especially things that brought by you!"

"You thought I'm gonna play pranks on you, darlin'?"

"So you're a telepath now? You love pranks! I saw you."

"And did I ever play any pranks on you before?"

She thought for a while before replying, "No."

Jim smiled. He said, "I would never play pranks on sick people or you, Sarah. Though I might once you're okay."

"Hurm!"

Jim chuckled. "Okay, that's enough. The soup's getting cold. Now open wide," he said while at the same time brought a spoonful of soup to her mouth.

"I can fed myself, thank you very much."

"I know you can, Sarah. But now you're not okay. Now open wide."

And that's what had happened. Jim Raynor fed Sarah Kerrigan with the soup brought by himself all the way from the mess hall at the opposite side of the ship to the med bay. And he did it with such care, as if Sarah Kerrigan was something or someone extremely precious to him.

Sarah saw all these. She saw how much the pig cared for her. She saw the way he looked at her. There was the care and something else, love. She felt the protection, something that she had never felt before. Her ice cold heart began to melt little by little as Jim continued to fed her.

Not a moment too soon, the soup finally finished. After placing the bowl on top of the tray, he proceed to softly wipe Sarah's lips with a small handkerchief. Once clean, Jim began to rearrange the bowl on the tray as Sarah's emerald eyes continued to stare at him. He then proceeded to tuck her in the bed, rearranging the pillow and the blanket until she was comfortable.

"Comfy?" he asked in which she nodded as a reply.

"Well, I gotta go. I need to bring the tray back to the mess hall and then have a meeting with our glorious leader. I'll see you tonight?"

Again, Sarah nodded.

Jim Raynor looked into her eyes for a while before he got up and brought the tray with him on his way outside. He gave her a smile before shutting the door close.

Sarah Kerrigan sighed. She never thought that she would see that side of Jim before. The soft and romantic side of him.

Jim. Jimmy. She liked that.

And she found that she couldn't wait to see him tonight.

_**End of flashback..**_

"Mistress! We found them! In the canyon just like you said!"

She smiled. She began to speed up. Her prey shall wait no longer.

_**To be continued…**_

**A/n: I hope you guys like the back story of Kerrigan and Raynor relationship. There will be more of course so keep in tune and I'll see you next time.**


	6. Remembrance part 4

It was a cried of pain. Then nothing.

She had lost contact with the overlord which had earlier reported on her enemies where about. It won't matter to her. She already knew where they are. All that she needed was confirmation that whatever she saw in that dream was true.

The dream. There was a reason on why she sent it. Enticing Jimmy of everything that could had happened between both of them. Love. Affection. Devotion. Like every other dream she sent to him once she saw that he had sided with the Protoss, it was supposed to end in a nightmare. However, the revelation that she saw during the final dream made her changed her decision.

A part of her reveled at the thought of how much Jim would suffer. The other part felt that it was something that she shouldn't do. Why should she tortured someone who had done nothing but cared for her, maybe even loved her. She had until then battle within her inner self of what she should and she shouldn't do. As always, rage and anger wins the day.

She watched as her brood climbed over the edge of the cliff and disappeared into the canyon. It would be satisfying to hear the cries of pain as each of her minions ripped every inch of flesh from her enemy's bones. However minutes later, no such cries came out.

Curiosity took over her she began to leap over the cliff into the canyon below.

"What?"

She reached the floor of the canyon, only to find that her brood was the only one there. No Terran, no Protoss.

"Where are they?! They were here!" she screamed.

Unfortunately, no answer was given since her brood themselves were confused. They simply stood and looked around, completely unsure on what to do next. Right in front of her was the corpse of the overlord she sent her earlier. But nothing else. No sight of her enemies. Only the Zerg.

However moments later, she felt her skull as if it was about to burst open.

"Arghhhh!" she staggered backward and hit the canyon wall behind her. Her brood had erupted in frenzy. With her hand still pressing her temple, she tried to command them to stop but none of her brood heeded her. She had lost control of them. She tried to communicate with cerebrate but she got no response in return. She then knew, without a doubt, that the cerebrate had been killed. Just like what happened to Zasz.

"Zeratul," she muttered to herself. Her rage intensified as she helplessly looked at her own brood killing each other. Some of it even tried to attack her but she deflected them using her psionic powers. At that very moment, she felt a presence so familiar to her. She looked up and saw him. Jim Raynor. Perched on top of the cliff and wearing that familiar armor suit. She couldn't see his face as he had put on his visor but she knew that he was looking at her.

"Now!" yelled Jim Raynor. Suddenly she saw Jim's men came out of their hiding place and began to shoot. Her brood, unable to protect themselves as they had lost their sense of self preservation, died by hundreds within the first few minutes. Some of Jim's men even started to target her but luckily she managed to erect a psionic barrier in time so none of the bullet reached her. She continued to stare at Jim. Despite the fact that she was standing directly in the line of fire, he purposely ignored her and instead tried to bring down as much of her brood as he can.

She smirked. "After everything that I had done to you, still you didn't have the heart to put a bullet into me. How sweet of you, dear Jimmy. It won't save you however. But now I had your playmates to take care off. I'll deal with you later!" she telepathically communicated to him. Without waiting for his response, she began to search for the Protoss.

Ignoring her rampaging brood and hail of bullets coming in from the terrans, she began to search for the elusive Protoss.

"Come out, come out little templar," she crooned and her eyes began to darted around looking for any tell tale sign of the Protoss warrior. "Come out wherever you are. I know you're here. I can feel you. Cowardice would only led you much faster to your doom, little templar. Be brave as you had always been and fight me!"

Having lost her patience as her taunting didn't received any appropriate response, she psionically pulled a mutalisk from the air and pin it to the wall of the canyon. "Obey!" and as she said it, a yellowish green light leaped from her eyes into those of the mutalisk. The creature immediately ceased struggling and began to hover above as if it was patiently waiting for orders the moment she released it. She repeated the same procedure until she had a number of mutalisks linked to her. Grinning, she gazed once again at Jim who was still shooting at the other Zerg creatures that were still feral.

"Kill all the humans!" she instructed and all the mutalisks under her command hasten to obey. All of them began to swoop down on Jim's men. His men put up a good fight and managed to down several of the zerg flyers. However, they too suffered quite a few casualties.

Satisfied with what she saw, she was about to resume her search for the Protoss when she noticed something that nearly torn her heart apart. Jim, having separated from his group, was struggling to fight for his life as two of the Zerg flyers began their ferocious attack on him. This wasn't him, she thought to herself. Having known Jimmy for quite sometimes, she knew how that captain fought in battles. No matter how tight the corner he was in, he would always managed find a way to get out of the mess he was in. But not today. No this time. He was struggling. He was not okay. She began to scan his mind just to be sure that it was him. It was really him. And then, it happened.

She stood rooted to the floor of the canyon as she saw one of the mutalisk began to sank it's deadly fangs into Jim's armor suit, right above his chest.

_**To be continued…**_

**A/n: This will be the second last installment of this fic. Not sure I'll continue once Remembrance finished. So far there's no indication that anyone like this story. I do enjoy writing it though. It was basically what I had always pictured what Kerrigan and Raynor had gone through during the years from the moment they first met. I had materials up until the period after Brood War before WoL but not sure I'll put it in writing. **


	7. Remembrance finale

_**One moment in time… a flashback**_

"_**You are a part of the culmination but not the end of it. You shall show the way, the path that must be taken, the realigning of old truths no longer valid. Yours is not the hand, but your very existence provides necessary instruction."**_

Once again her prey escaped her grasp. It wasn't the first time though. Several times before it happened but then it wasn't something like this. This time, it was different. She had him cornered, pinned down by the steely grasp of her wings. Held within an arm length with her skeletal wings piercing both his shoulder blades, she only had but to move and that Dark Templar will be no more. But Zeratul, while already defeated in the fight against her, had but one more weapon in his disposal. Cunningness through the use of words. He managed to stall her and bought enough time for him. And as the shadow of the day blanketed both of them, he disappeared. Realizing too late that she had fallen for the tricks, she raged on and on.

"You Protoss are cowards! I have bested the both of you and you fled like frightened dogs! Come out and fight me!"

Like a huge wall of water bursting from a broken dam, anger and rage flooded out of her. She continued to shout and wailed, cursing her Protoss opponents and hoping that it will incite them to attack. But no responses were given by the Protoss. Many minutes later, she finally gave up. She simply stood there, her skeletal wings raised behind her, her chest heaving and hands curled into a fist.

"What shall we do now , mistress?" one of her overlords asked. It drifted close to her but still wisely staying out of her wings reach. It was the nameless cerebrate who was talking through her minions.

"We will continue to hunt," she replied. "These intruders will know the folly in their attempt to set foot on this planet. We will let not a single one of them survived. We will kill them all and displayed their bodies at the highest peak as a reminder of what awaits if anyone dare to crosses me. Char, is ours."

At that very moment she looked up directly at Jimmy, who was at that time was perching on top of one of the hills lining the valley and spying on her. She knew that he was following her all this while. She knew that he had saw and heard it all. She even knew that Jimmy was instrumental in ensuring Tassadar's escape during her previous skirmish with the High Templar. Many of her broods died in that fight due to Jimmy's herself was slightly wounded when trying to flee from the overlord that crashed on top of her brood. But she decided to brush the whole incident off and simply restarted her search of the Protoss intruders. Ever since her transformation, she had prohibited the Zerg from harming Jimmy and his men. Even now, that command still holds.

Suddenly from afar, she sensed another Zerg brood was on the way to her location. It was Daggoth's. She ignored them as first, thinking that the oldest of the cerebrates was simply sending her reinforcement. However moments later, she began to realize something. While she welcomed the extra reinforcement Daggoth send to her, it was the path they undertook to reach her that concerned her. They were coming from beyond the hills lining the valley and Jimmy was now directly within their path.

Immediately, she began to telepathically observe him. She saw Jimmy was looking towards the direction of the incoming brood. She saw that he was frantically searching for a hideout. But the hill top he was currently taking refuge on offered none. All it had was a large boulder. Using the butt of his pistol, she saw Jimmy began to carve a hole out of that boulder which was made by hardened lava. Once it was large enough, Jimmy began to wedge himself in, apparently hoping that it would provide some protection from the eyes of the zerg. But she knew well enough that it won't be long that Daggoth's brood would spot him. She couldn't think of what will happened once they got hold of him.

Moments later, Daggoth's brood began to fill up the hill top where Jimmy was hiding. Hundreds of zerglings, mutalisk, scourge and a few overlords began to converge on that spot. All that time she simply gazed intently at them, waiting for a sign. Suddenly, the thing she feared most happened.

"Cerebrate!" she heard one of the zerg hissed. "What is that? Over there, by the-,"

It's now or never.

"Daggoth!" she called towards the brood. "Greeting cerebrate. Come down and speak with me at once. You and all your brood for I had strange tidings!"

"As do I, Queen of Blades," replied Daggoth, apparently speaking through one of his overlord. His brood then began to climb over the hill into the valley down below where she was waiting.

As the last of Daggoth brood filled up the valley below, once again she turned her gaze towards Jimmy's hideout. She saw him looking back at her. A look of relieved plastered across his face.

You're safe, Jimmy.

_**End of flashback…**_

Her expression was unreadable. She watched as the mutalisk threw Jim from on top of the cliff towards the floor of the canyon. She simply looked on as the mutalisk's fang sunk deeper and deeper into his body. It won't be long. It would only take minutes. His thrashing began to slow down as the deadly zerg poison began to make its effect seen. She heard him gurgling. Despite the fact that his visor was still down, she knew that Jimmy was beginning to cough blood, and a lot of it. She knew Jimmy won't have to suffer much longer. She saw Jimmy's men struggling to save their captain from the mutalisk but they too were overwhelmed from the attack by her minion. She made no effort in stalling her zerg, let alone commanded them to reduce their intensity of attack.

"It had to be done. There's no other way. There won't be any other way. The bane of my existence must perish," she whispered to herself as she slowly turned away from scene. There was a more pressing matter that need to be attend to, and that was to kill the Protoss.

"Come out, little Templar! Come out and fight!" she shouted. Walking through the valley of the canyon littered with carcasses of the Zerg and a few terrans a like, like a hound she began to sniff about her elusive prey. "A coward! That's what you'll always be! You're much stronger than the terrans, but you let them do all the dirty jobs for you! You had sacrifice them and for what?! Your precious terrans are dying, little Templar! Slaughtered by my broods! Soon what's left of them would only be flesh and bones to feed my hungry minions! All of them! Including your playmate Jim Raynor himself!"

By this time, she froze.

Jim. Jimmy.

Slowly she looked back at the location where Jimmy was last seen. He was still there, lying on the ground. The mutalisk, once done with him, had left to 'attend' other terrans. But Jim no longer moves. She began to scan his mind. Nothing. She tried to read his thought. Nothing. The bond that she had with him, the one she used to call to him, letting him know of her sorrow, her dreams and her anguish had all but disappeared.

She continued to stare at him. Moments later, as if in some of trance, she began to slowly walked back to him. "Jim?" she called to him. "Jimmy?"

"Sarah."

And she heard it. But the voice, not much stronger than a whisper, didn't come from the motionless body of Jim Raynor. She heard it as if it came from deep within herself.

"Jim?"

"I know you're still in there. I know you're still alive, Sarah. Beneath all the monstrosities you had become, you still live. Prove me right, Sarah."

"Why did you do all of these, Jim?"

"Because in the end, you're worth it."

"Jim," she whispered. Then it suddenly dawned upon her. As fast as a lightning strike, she darted towards him. However, midway through to Jim, something hit her hard on the chest causing her to fell back and hit the ground hard.

Sprawling on the floor of the canyon, coughing and holding her chest trying to reduce the pain, she looked up and saw him. Her glowing yellow eyes met with the blue ones.

"You will not save him, Kerrigan! Not this time!"

"Tassadar!" she growled. Straighten her self up, she continued, "Where have you been? I thought you were going to wait until all of your allies, or should I say playmates, had died only before you choose to reappear."

Tassadar looked over towards Raynor. Turning back towards Kerrigan, he said, "It was made as a request from him."

"A request from him?" asked Kerrigan while at the same time her eyes fell towards Jim. "You can fool me no longer, Tassadar. I had enough of your word games. Now back away if you knew what's good for you!" said Kerrigan as once again she made an attempt to reach Raynor.

"You will not save him!" replied Tassadar as once again he blocked her second attempt. "Nor you're worth saving him!"

"I worth everything to him!"

"You're deluding yourself, Kerrigan. Thinking that you're truly mattered to him. Maybe you're right. Maybe you're wrong. But after everything that had happened, did James Raynor saw all of that? Did he feel that he mattered to you?"

"He mattered to me," replied Kerrigan softly though there wasn't much conviction in it. Ever since they met, it was always a lop-sided relationship. Only Jimmy who truly showed how much he cared for her. On her part, while she readily admitted that she had feeling for him, there wasn't much that she had shown him.

"Once again you're deluding yourself. You said he's mattered to you, but all you bring to him are sufferings and more sufferings. You tortured him! You abused him!"

"Those were only dreams, Tassadar!" replied Kerrigan hotly.

"Then perhaps you should see this!" said Tassadar raised his hand towards Kerrigan. A blob of bluish light came out of his spread out fingers and entered Kerrigan's head. And there she saw it:-

_**He woke up immediately from the nightmare. It was so real. So vivid. The pain. He felt them.**_

_**Slow Raynor got up from his makeshift bed and out of his hastily made camp. It was still early in the morning. Most of his troops were still sleeping with the exception of the few whom he put on rotational guard duty. The Protoss? Well he didn't know whether or not they need to sleep. It was always been like that. Both his troops and the Protoss forces were on the run from Kerrigan's hordes. But they didn't simply run. They would wait and strike her brood whenever it came near their location, trimming it little by little. Then they disappeared and the cycle would repeat over and over again. It was already three days since the last time they had a skirmished with the Zerg. Three days of peace on which they all could rest and be ready for their next encounter. But not for him.**_

_**Ever since he decided to team up with the Protoss, every sleep was a torture. It kept on increasing in intensity. It started as something beautiful, where he and Kerrigan would spent their time some place beautiful. They would talked, laughed, dance, kiss and make love. Then half way, things started to turn ugly. She would turn into that monstrosity. A lot of time he had to run, only for her to catch him in the end. She mercilessly tortured him. There had been times that he practically begging her to end his life as he could no longer bear all the pain, both physically and mentally. Mentally as the one who did it to him was someone he loved. And last night, was the worst of them all.**_

_**Limping, he slowly walked towards a small pool situated not far from the encampment. Painfully he knelt and began to scoop a handful of cold ash water and flush them to his face. Sighing, he looked towards his reflection on the surface of the water. Scratches. Bruises. Swelling on his left eye. All courtesy of her. He thought it was all just a dream. Apparently, it was more than that. Last night in his dream, she stabbed his right leg using her skeletal wing. He felt the pain until now. The place where she had stabbed him felt sting to the touch. No doubt, like every other part of his body where she had hit him, a bruise could have been seen.**_

"_**Why did she do all this to me?" he asked himself.**_

"_**Perhaps her reason is as vague as yours."**_

_**Startled, Raynor turned around and saw Zeratul who was standing behind him with both his hand behind his back.**_

"_**I didn't mean to startle you," said Zeratul.**_

_**Slowly rising up, Raynor nodded. "It's okay Zeratul." Slowly, he walked towards a small rock and sat on it. Zeratul followed and sat beside him.**_

"_**Her touch hang heavily on you," said Zeratul.**_

_**Still massaging his leg, Raynor looked up towards him. "You knew?" that was not a question.**_

"_**We saw everything. You're practically screaming at us during your sleep, James Raynor," replied Zeratul. His blue eyes didn't left not for a second from Raynor's.**_

_**Sighing, Raynor said, "She's torturing me, Zeratul. Ever since that day on the plateau. The dreams. It all started on a good term but ended in absolute nightmare."**_

"_**She did that out of disappointment. You sided with us instead of hers."**_

_**Looking around just to make sure that no one else, especially his men, would hear him, Raynor said, "I had no choice, Zeratul. I brought all of them here on the pretence that we're going to save our own people when in fact the reason I came here is to save her. You should have seen them, Zeratul. The eagerness on their face. Despite knowing where we would be going, all of them rise up to the challenge. But now look at what I have gotten them into. No news of what happens to Matt and the rest of the crew and we stranded here. The least I could is to make sure my people continue to be alive. I'm not sure for how long though."**_

_**Raynor then stood up and began to walk a few steps before he stopped. He turned back to look at Zeratul. "Can't you stop it?" he asked.**_

_**Zeratul upon knowing what Raynor had asked of him, replied, "These dreams weren't of my making. It is yours to bear and alone you must bear it."**_

"_**I'm not asking you to do it. I simply asking if you could do it."**_

_**Zeratul sighed. It took him quite a moment before he answered, "Yes, it could be stop but only with great difficulties. The bond between both of you is strong. Very strong. I could see it. Like a band of very bright light coming in from afar."**_

_**Raynor began to wonder at this new information. "A band of light you say?"**_

"_**Yes."**_

"_**Then you could see her location?"**_

"_**I could not see her location but I can see how far she is from us by the intensity of the bond."**_

_**Suddenly a revelation came to him. "You're using me. You can stop the dreams but you chose not to. You used the bond between us to detect her whereabouts. That's how you manage to alert us whenever the Zerg is coming for us."**_

"_**Yes."**_

_**Raynor began to smile. He nodded to Zeratul and spoke, "Good. Keep it up. It what you were doing could buy us much longer time, I'm all for it." With that, Raynor turned around and walked back towards his camp.**_

_**Zeratul simply stared at Raynor for quite sometime. Ever since their first meeting, he and Tassadar realized that there was more to Raynor than what they saw from the outside. **_

_**A Protoss inside James Raynor.**_

"_**You are more like us than you know, James Raynor."**_

The scene then changed:-

_**Both the Protoss and the Terrans had just managed to escape from the Zerg attack. They had now set up camp at a different location.**_

"_**Good call, captain. How do you know the Zerg was returning?" asked Chaves.**_

"_**I heard them talking. The overlord called them back to regroup," replied Raynor while at the same time sipping his coffee. It was moment later that he suddenly realized that things had gone eerily quiet. He looked up and saw both the Protoss and the Terrans were staring at him. Zeratul for one tilted his head slightly, apparently trying to comprehend this new information.**_

"_**But sir, Zerg don't speak. None of them do," said Arbernathy. Clearly, she was worried.**_

"_**What do you mean they don't speak? I heard them. Or else how can I tell that they were regrouping?"**_

"_**The Zerg doesn't speak the way you do, James Raynor," said Tassadar as he strode towards him and sit beside Raynor. Zeratul meanwhile flanked him on the other side.**_

"_**That's a load of crock. I heard them! Or else how can I know what the overlord was saying? And you Zeratul. I heard that conversation you had when you killed that cerebrate."**_

_**Zeratul widen his eyes. He said, "That conversation was a private one. Not the one the Terrans would understand. How do you know all of this?"**_

"_**I saw it. I saw the whole damn thing. Or else how would I know Zasz name."**_

"_**What you were saying is true," said Tassadar. After a brief pause, he continued, "Kerrigan."**_

"_**Kerrigan?" asked Raynor. "What she had got to do with all of these?"**_

"_**The bond between both of you. For some reason, you had inevitably tapped into the mind of the Swarm. You hear what she heard. You understand what she understood. She used that bond to send you the dreams and also to monitor your well being. You are under her surveillance, James Raynor."**_

"_**She did this to you sir?" asked Arbernathy.**_

"_**Yeah. Kerrigan had been messing with me ever since we got here. But still," he then rose and walked a few steps further than the group. He turned back and saw that instead of sitting separately like what the Protoss and his team had done, they're now sitting together, converging in one huge group. "It's an advantage we could use. She had been running a translation for me. I could practically hear their battle reports." **_

_**Staring at every face there was, he continued, "I think it's time that we take the fight to them."**_

Once again, the scene revolved…

**_Raynor stood up with the help of both Tassadar and Zeratul._**

"_**So?" asked Tassadar.**_

"_**She took it. Every bait and hook. We're on," replied Raynor.**_

_**Tassadar nodded, satisfied. He then asked, "Are you sure you wanted a part of this, James Raynor? I fear that your feeling for her could cloud your judgment."**_

"_**I said I'll do it, Tassadar," replied Raynor. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "There maybe hints of the woman I once knew left within her, but it's just hints. Nothing more. She's now more than that. She's a danger now, not only to us. She had-."**_

_**At this point, Raynor couldn't continue. Tassadar, apparently understood what he had gone through, patted him on his back and said, "I understand, James Raynor. I respect your decision. We will do this, together."**_

"_**Then let us make haste," continued Zeratul.**_

Kerrigan stood transfixed to the ground. She didn't know. She only thought she was simply mentally tortured him. Never she knew that it had manifested into reality. Jim was indeed suffering. All those scars. Bruises. Seeing him limping. It was all her handiwork.

"There. You see it, Kerrigan. Every sacrifice he had made for you. He came here just to rescue you. To save whatever humanity left within you. But you repay him with suffering and death. He chose to be with us not on the base of defying you, but to ensure the survival of his men. You had shown mercy only to him, not to his men. You should have known, Kerrigan. But you rage and anger blinded you from anything else. He is not worth saving, by you."

"You will not take Jim away from me!" she shouted and began to attack Tassadar with full ferocities. By this time, all the other Protoss warriors appeared and began to assist what's left of Raynor forces in fighting the Zerg, both loyalist and the ones still feral. But all of them couldn't get near Raynor as fight continued to rage between Kerrigan and Tassadar.

Fighting hand to hand with Kerrigan did proved a bit much for Tassadar as it once gain proved how adapted it was the Queen of Blades when it comes to close combat. Tassadar had once saw how Kerrigan as a human fight with nothing but a knife in her hands on Tarsonis and now with all the upgrades that the Overmind bestowed upon her, she had become more deadly than ever. It wasn't long before Kerrigan managed to pin him down. However just as she moved in to deliver that killer blow, she was hit from behind that send her sprawling with only her wing that manage to catch her before she swallowed a mouthful of dirt. She looked back and saw the Dark Templar, the one that manage to escape her clutches a few weeks ago.

"You sent for me, Kerrigan?" asked Zeratul.

Slowly she stood up. Her eyes darted between her two adversaries and Jimmy. She knew she had to do something. She knew that the longer the Protoss stalled her, the bigger the chance for her to lose Jim. Jim was now on the verge of death. She couldn't see what was happening within that black armor suit of Jim, but she pretty well knew the extensive of damage the mutalisk poison could do to him. Even if Jim managed to be alive, he won't be the same.

She had but one choice. Her eyes began to glow. With her hands raised high up, green yellowish streaming of light came out from both of her eyes and went into every feral Zerg within the valley. All the feral Zerg then stopped fighting among themselves and began to line up behind her.

Tasssadar and Zeratul readied themselves for the expected fight that would come but it didn't came. To their surprise, all the Zerg that were fighting with the Protoss and the Terrans suddenly pulled back and went behind Kerrigan. Kerrigan then lowered his hands. Her glowing yellow eyes softened. She then gaze toward Raynor.

"I'm the only one now who could save him." She muttered. She then turned her gaze towards both Tassadar and Zeratul. "His men needed him. Someday all of us may need him, especially me. Let me save him. Let him know that the women he once knew, still lives."

Tassadar and Zeratul looked towards each other. They had never thought it would have come to this. Never they expected that they would get this kind of reaction from their worst foe. But still, they did. After a few moments, Tassadar nodded.

"Very well, Kerrigan. Do what you must."

Kerrigan then went towards Raynor limped body. Carefully cradling him, she lifted up his visor and began to suck all of the mutalisk poison out of his body through his mouth. Once done, she placed her hand on top Jim's body and began to heal various part of his body that was injured, by her and by the ensued fight.

Raynor's breathing began to get stronger and faster. But he had yet opened up his eyes. Kerrigan looked upon his face for a moment before carefully placing him back on the ground. She then walked back to her brood. However, she stopped as she got near both the Protoss. Without looking back at them, she said, "Take care of him for me."

With that, The Zerg began to retreat leaving only the Protoss and the Terrans behind.

_**Epilogue…**_

From her primary hive, she saw Protoss carriers descending down towards the surface of the planet. She also saw the Hyperion, once her home, in low orbit of Char. She had specifically instructed her Zerg to not disturb them. Within half an hour later, both the Protoss and Jimmy's forces departed from the planet.

She thought of everything that had happened that day. She finally realized how much Jimmy meant to her. Despite humanity had constantly failed her during her lifetime, Jim was the only one who manage to drag her out of the darkness and hatred. He's the only one who managed to show her the other side of humanity. He's the only souvenir she got left.

During her stay in the chrysalis, she was bombarded by strange visions. Apocalypse. Danger. Extinction. Darkness. She will be a part of it. Whether to bring it or to prevent it, she had not yet known. But the only thing she knew that when the time comes, she will need him, more than ever.

_**The end.**_

_**A/n:**_** So come the end of this story. I have yet decided to continue it or not. As usual, please read and leave a review. It may determined whether or not Blood Roses will see you guys once again.**


	8. Of Lovers and Consort - a Prologue

**Hyperion Med Bay, a day after Char…**

He woke up from a dreamless sleep, the first time he had that ever since his last encounter with Kerrigan on Char. Lying on his bed with his eyes trained to the ceiling, he began to shift through his memory of what had truly happened. Of Char. Of Sarah Kerrigan.

Throughout during his unintended prolong stay on that wretched planet, Kerrigan had been bombarding him with dreams every time he went to sleep. Dream of a good time, love and passion. Unlike the human Kerrigan he used to know, the Kerrigan in those was far braver. Totally opening up to him, she hinted at him of how much she loved him and how much she wanted to always be at his side. Or rather how much she wanted him to be at her side. It was so beautiful and intoxicating that most of the time he would wish that it weren't dreams at all. All that changed when he chose to allied with not one but two groups of Protoss who happened to be stuck on that planet as well. Sweet dreams became nightmares. Love became hatred. Passion turned into absolute torture. And he would wake up in terror with some part of his body aching from what she did to him in those dreams.

His decision to ally with the Protoss wasn't an easy one. While earlier the Zerg seems to avoid his men and didn't make any attempt to attack or hurt them, he wasn't really sure for how long that status quo would hold. It was weird though. They were directly inside the Zergian wilderness surrounded by millions of critters and monsters but none of them made any attempt to attack. There were a few times where a whole Zerg brood would run past nearby his encampment but the Zerg took no notice of them. There was one incident where one of his man came up face to face with a hydralisk but instead of skewing the man alive, the hydralisk simply shrugged and moved on. The Zerg strange behavior was a hot topic of discussion with everyone of his men wondering on why the Zerg act in a really peculiar way. All that time, he just kept quiet, never wanting to be involved in the discussion. However, deep inside he had suspicion that Kerrigan was behind all of this. Despite that, worries still linger in his mind on how long Kerrigan would still manage to hold herself together. For all he know, there would come time that she would lose control, that the Zerg part of her will took complete control of her mind. When that happened, he and his men would perish within seconds.

His camp came under attack the moment he chose to be with the Protoss. With the help of his new Protoss buddies however, they managed to fend off the sudden Zerg assault. He lost five men in that attack. From that moment on, they became the hunted. Always on the run. Always in hiding. No one knows for how long they would manage to hold. No one knows whether or not any of them would have the opportunity to feel the sun shining on their face the very next day. Kerrigan was relentless. She was too determine to kill each and every one of them, especially him. She would hunt him down during the day and torture him during the night. Not once during his stay on Char since the alliance was forged had been peaceful.

The final battle was the final nail in the coffin. At that time he knew at long last, the woman he was in love with, the one whom he had risk his life to saved, had long gone.

The door into the room he was currently occupying in hissed open and came in a young man. Still within his twenties, he was basically the embodiment of determination, loyalty and the long vision of a better future.

"How do you feel, Commander?" he greeted his superior and at the same time took a seat beside Raynor's bed.

"Pretty good, Matt. What happened?"

"You nearly died on that planet, sir. The men said you were skewed alive by a mutalisk. Somebody up there must have loved you. Logically, you shouldn't be alive," stated Horner.

"And you frustrated that I'm still alive?"

Horner chuckled. He replied, "Not at all sir. I'm really glad that you made it. And I thank you for the advice you gave us. If it wasn't for that, we both won't be here and have this conversation."

Raynor frowned. He said, "It wasn't an advice, Matt. It was an order. An order that I know you would try to defy if it wasn't for the murder threat I gave you."

"I never intend to leave you behind, sir. Just like you never left anyone behind."

"Matt, someday you will learn on how to set your priorities. There will come the day when you had to make the hard decision. You have to be brave for that."

"I understand, sir. But that day isn't today. So might I ask you something?"

"About Kerrigan?" Raynor asked back. "She-, she's dead Matt."

Raynor began to unravel the whole story to Horner, from the moment he saw Kerrigan step out of the cocoon until the final battle. Horner was dumbfounded when the story ends.

"She tried to kill you? She tried to kill you even though she knew that you were trying to rescue her?" asked Horner. Clearly he had trouble believing what he was hearing.

"No Matt. She tried to kill me the moment I befriended the Protoss. I don't have any choice Matt. God knows how long she would still be able to hold herself."

"Well you did the right thing, commander. It will be the option that I chose if I were you."

Raynor sighed. His eyes moved from Horner towards the ceiling. Pain and anguish was clearly shone from his face. Slowly he said, "It hurts, Matt. It hurts real deep. Part of me says that she's dead. But the other part of me refuses to let her go, that somehow she is still alive beneath all those carapace."

"I know what you mean, sir. But you must not let this feeling of yours clouded your judgment. You had people depending on you, trusting you. This feeling that you had could mean life or death to them."

Raynor nodded. He said, "Yeah, you're right. I need to get a hold of myself. Lets change the topic, shall we? So what's new? Any other reason you come here beside visiting this loveable commander of yours?"

Horner laughed. He said, "Good to see your old self back, sir. Yes there is something else that you need to know of. As of now, your Protoss buddies were escorting this ship for the moment just to be sure there's no nasty surprises coming from the Zerg. They wanted to talk to you once you awake. They did seem to be in a hurry though."

"I wonder why?"

"Well, they need to go back to their home planet as soon as possible. News were coming in that a huge Zerg armada is on its way there. The Protoss was preparing for an invasion."

Raynor suddenly became alert when he heard what his captain had spoken. Quickly he got out of bed and proceed to wear his usual attire.

"Sir-,"

"I'm fine, Matt," Raynor cut in. "Now let's go to the bridge and hear what the Protoss had in mind."

_**To be continued…**_

**A/n: A prologue to a new story of Kerrigan and Raynor. Those who had played SC1 until Brood War will saw the similarities. Well this story would delve deeper. Duran will eventually make his grand appearance. As usual please leave a review. I would really appreciate it. **


	9. Of Lovers and Consort - part 1

_**Planet Pridewater, Kal-Bryant Mining Conglomerate… a flashback**_

It was a week after the Orna III mission being concluded. The Hyperion was docking at one of the space port situated at the edge of the Pridewater City. Being located in the outer rim of the Koprulu Sector and administered by a mining consortium that wasn't that much friendly with the Confederacy, the Son of Korhal could remain in hiding and protected by the conglomerate network of security services. For the first few days since their arrival, Acturus was busy liaising with his associates, the majority of them were from Umoja Protectorate and conducting endless meetings with them. All the rescued scientist and Confederacy test subjects from Orna III science facility had been relocated either to some medical facilities in Pridewater City or someplace else of their own choosing. Hyperion itself was subject to restocking and major repairs, due the close encounters it had with the Confederacy fleet. It would be quite a few intervals before it would fly once again.

Pridewater City. At a glance, no one would have thought it was indeed the capital city of the planet. Unlike Tarsonis where cloud piercing skyscrapers littered throughout the planet, the tallest building in Pridewater was no more than ten stories high. And yet the city held its own charms. Carefully trimmed trees and flower bushes littered everywhere. There wasn't so much of traffic jam and getting into the city center was a breeze. Being situated at the coastal area of Pridewater two large oceans, Pridewater City was more like a resort city than an administrative capital.

Hopping out of a taxi, Sarah Kerrigan went on her own way through the small street. Small traders line up the street, now gazzeted by the local municipal as out of bound from heavy transport. Selling everything from drinks, light snack and few merchandise such as flowers and knick-knacks, the street was bustling with activities. A place where indeed, Sarah Kerrigan truly wanted to avoid desperately.

Being a strong telepath, she couldn't help but received all sort of thought that came out of people surrounding her. Some were good. Others were so bad that it gave her goose bumps. But since it wasn't her first time and she had already managed to tighten her grip of her immense power ever since she was rescued by Acturus, she managed to dismiss all of it. Still, it made her uncomfortable. By now, she was more than ever wished that she could reach her destination as fast as her feet could carry her.

Pridewater Lagoon. A scenic beachfront. Coconut and assorted palm tree lined up the purely white sandy beach. Despite fronting a large ocean, the lagoon waves weren't large. Instead it rolled by lazily, creating a calming effect for those who's lucky enough to have the time to stood by and watch.

Her feet brought her to one of the café situated at the lagoon. She had been there once before. Back then, she was just being liberated by Acturus and she had repaid him by saving his life from being killed by a Confederate Ghost operative. Acturus's emotion was unreadable the moment she brought the body of the Ghost back to the bridge. Animosity reared its ugly head but she couldn't figure out why. As always, Acturus managed to hide his thought from her. But that's not the reason why she came here. Peace. Tranquility. And getting away from that pig. Those were the reasons on why she came to that place. Despite of the crowd surrounding her, the sense of loneliness crept within her soul and that point of time, she truly missed someone she had fallen in love with.

Somo Hung.

A fringe worlder. Unlike most of the Hyperion crews, he was honest, caring and full of hope. He was truly genuine to her and not once she detected any attempt on his part to use her to his benefit. For the first time ever, she felt that someone truly looking out for her. Not because of the mission she needed to fulfill. Not because of she was important. But because that person truly cared for her. Despite the strong psionic powers that she possessed, still she yearned for someone to protect her.

Entering the café, she walked directly towards the same chair and the same table that she and Somo used to lounge before. There, both she and Somo had spend their time, fingers intertwined and her head resting on Somo's shoulder, watching the sunset. And there, she had her first kiss. She didn't know whether or not it was a date. It should be, she thought at that time. It was indeed the most romantic time she ever had in her life.

But Somo had gone, killed by the very person she truly despised. Colonel Rumm. Somo died in her arm. Try as he might, he didn't get to say the three words in his dying breath. Somehow, she knew what he had been trying to say and she dearly wanted to confess to him the deep feeling she had for him. But she didn't get the chance. Somo draw his last breath before they both got to confess the feeling they had for each other. She managed to kill Rumm in the act of revenge, but it didn't bring Somo back to her.

The soft lullaby of music piped out through various speakers filled out the café. It was 'The Lonely Shepherd'. An old song originated from old Earth hundreds of years ago. The haunting sound of the pan flute played by once famous Gheorghe Zamfir soothed her soul as her emerald eyes continued to lay upon the rolling waves. The very same music played when she was with Somo Hung before.

Her eyes watered. Tears slowly flowed down her soft cheeks. She missed him. She missed Somo so much that her heart ached.

Waves continued to roll gently by, gated by the low hanging sun in the horizon. Sarah continued to look towards the ocean. Suddenly she felt something. Wiping her tears away, she turned her gaze towards a rocky outcrop not far from the café she was in. And there, she saw him. Not Somo but Jim Raynor.

Jim Raynor was sitting on the outcrop. Alone watching the ocean. His face was unreadable. Curiosity came over her. Thinking that may be its time to put her telepathic ability to good use, she began to scour his mind. She was taken aback. It wasn't what she had expected to see. Instead the usual Jim Raynor who always love to make fun of her, what she saw was sadness, loneliness and deep sorrow. She saw battles, murder and betrayal. She saw an old man and an old woman. Both faces looked much like him. She saw how Jim cradled the old woman in her dying breath. She saw Jim continued to stay with the woman the whole day, he himself crying. She saw a young woman and a child. She saw Jim digging a grave, burying the child in it. She saw the woman wasted away with Jim trying with all his might to bring that woman back to him. She saw him standing in front of two graves amidst the thick snow that surrounded him, alone. Jim was thinking of that woman, on how much he missed her. But much to Sarah's surprise, he was also thinking of her. It wasn't one of those naughty thought that he always had whenever he was around her. But more like a sense of responsibility, of how much he wanted to make sure that she was safe. Not because of she was important. Not because of she was Acturus's number two. But it was because he truly cared for her.

Sarah Kerrigan knew that Jim Raynor stances towards her had changed somewhat the more they worked together. It was really shown after Orna III. She was injured and had to be confined in the med bay for several days. During that time, not once Jim Raynor failed to visit her and every time he left, not once he failed to make sure that she felt truly comfortable and happy.

The soothing lullaby of 'The Lonely Shepherd' continued to play. By that time she had decided to go to him. Paying the drinks, she walked out of the café and towards the outcrop where Jim Raynor was sitting alone. She stopped just a few meters away from him. Her eyes continued to gaze at him, unsure whether or not she should proceed.

Jim Raynor continued to watch the sea, the waves and the seagulls. It wasn't moments later that he sensed someone was watching him. He turned around, only to see Sarah Kerrigan standing not far from him. Her eyes fell upon him. She smiled at him. He smiled back. He extended her hands towards her. She looked at it apprehensively. She was a bit reluctant at first, battling her inner self, asking herself whether or not she should took it. She eyes fell once again to Jim. Jim Raynor was still smiling and his hand was still extended towards her. Finally, after the fierce debate within herself began to cool down, she made a decision.

The twin moons of Pridewater shone through beach, washing it with an eerie soft white light. There on the outcrop, Jim Raynor and Sarah Kerrigan sat together, holding hands while basking in the moonlight.

And the soft lullaby of 'The Lonely Shepherd' continues to play…

_**A flashback ends…**_

_**Planet Char, a week after the terran and the protoss depart from the planet…outskirt of the Zerg primary hive…**_

He stood on top of the small hill. His gaze fell upon the giant Zerg primary hive. Despite the majority of the Zerg forces were now travelling to Aiur, quite a few numbers of the Zerg left on Char defending the brood.

Kerrigan's brood. His plan had until now worked perfectly.

_**Kerrigan's throne room…**_

Her gaze turned towards the outskirt of the hive.

No. Not the Protoss. But something just as powerful. And it came to beg for her mercy.

_**To be continued…**_

**A/n: The song 'The Lonely Shepherd' by ****Gheorghe Zamfir** is a beautiful piece that I heard when watching Kill Bill part 1 movie. You know the scene titled 'The Man from Okinawa'. I just love it and feel it truly suits this chapter. I even wrote this chapter while listening to the song in repeat mode. It really set the mood. Its a recommended listen if you still haven't and I intended to use it to set the mood for 'Of Lovers and Consort' mini story. As usual, please leave a review and I'll see you next time.  



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